Aloha, Ouran!
by Spirit of Imagination
Summary: A new girl arrives on Bunkyo and joins the students at Ouran Academy, but she quickly learns her Japanese skills are not up to parr. So, she enlists the help of none other than Haruhi Fujioka. However, when she is swept up into the world of the host club, the language barrier wont be her only problem.
1. Chapter 1

Hello lovelies! I am so happy to be back! Like I said in the original version, this is a new and impoved version of the fic I wrote back in middle school. I am now a college freshman, and I'm studying abroad in Europe! I hope that all of my previous readers are still interested in this story, and I welcome new readers with open arms. It has been a long time since I've written fanfiction of any kind, so forgive my rusty skills.

I'm going to try and give this fic new life and a breath of fresh air. I also want to redeem myself for my cringe worthy writing skills I had in middle school. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment and tell me your thoughts!

And without further ado, I present _Aloha, Ouran!_

* * *

"Class, please settle down," The teacher of the class 1-A gently said and pulled out a thin folder of papers. "We have our new student today. She'll arrive at any minute, but in the meantime, please retrieve your notes on yesterday's lecture. I would like to go over a few key points from the lesson to prepare you for the upcoming quiz."

The students let out a collective sigh as the fished through their school bags. The was a collective murmur among them; a new student was not very common at Ouran Academy. There hadn't been much in the way of information about this mystery student joining their class, but teenagers with too much time on their hands will find way to fill their boredom with rumors. Not that anyone _really _believed them, it was just to stimulate their normally plain and uneventful school-day. This is not to say Ouran Academy was bleak, but rather that rich children raised in cushion-y towers often get quickly tired of stable routine, and they crave something exciting and new.

At least, that's how the set of twin boys saw it. They had only been in class for less than an hour today and could already feel the gray cloud of boredom floating above them.

The teacher began her lecture, the occasional student asking a question. When would this new student interrupt their boring morning?

One of the twins nudged his desk-neighbor.

"Haruhi," he started, voice just above a whisper. "What have you heard about the new student?"

The dark-haired student spared him a glance and quickly looked back to the front of the room before answering.

"Nothing of importance. It's no use to judge someone you haven't met yet, especially based on rumors other people have spread. They don't even know this person."

"Well, you have to admit," the twin on the other side said, "It has been nice to have something new to talk about, even if it isn't true." His face didn't match his words, still smarting a bored expression.

The brunette sighed and continued writing down the notes on the board.

A soft knock on the door interrupted the lecture. The teacher paused, before allowing the interrupter to open the come in. Silence overtook the room as everyone turned to face the door.

The door opened, revealing an unfamiliar girl in the puffy yellow uniform. She had a smile on her round face, freckles spotted across her cheekbones, and honey-brown eyes. She shyly waved into the classroom, taking a few tentative steps through the doorway.

"Is this the 1-A classroom?" Her Japanese was a little clunky, and her accent was strange. _She's not from Japan then._

"Ah, yes! You must be Kealoha-san, please come in," the teacher said warmly. The girl, Kealoha-san apparently, walked into the room until she came up next to the teacher's desk in front of the class. She tucked a section of her chestnut hair behind her hair and then clasped her hands in front of her. She was trying very hard, and very obviously to hide her anxiety. _This would be interesting_. "Please, introduce yourself, we've been awaiting your arrival all morning."

The newcomer gazed over the other students, looking a bit frightened. The class watched her intensely with bated breath. The new girl took a deep breath and started speaking.

"Um…hi. My name is Meli Kealoha- I mean Kealoha Meli! I'm sorry, I am still learning the formalities. I moved here to Bunkyo last week, so I am still adjusting. Uh- thank you for welcoming me into your school." She finished her little speech quickly, and she ducked her head down, whether it was meant as a bow or to hide her face, the twins weren't quite sure.

However, the interest had been piqued. A new student, one who was foreign, was exciting.

"Are there any questions for Kealoha-san before we get back to our lesson?"

The class that was once silent suddenly became alive with whispers and chatter. The prospect of avoiding the boring lecture in favor of learning all about their new peer was very favorable. Several students had their hands in the air. The girl nodded in the direction of the student in the front row.

"Where are you from?"

"I am from Kapa'a in Hawaii."

"Oh wow! All the way from Hawaii!" Several of the girls in the class began gushing amongst themselves, clearly tickled to have a new student from across the ocean. Meli merely smiled, unsure to be whether to be flattered by their fawning or to be weirded-out by it. She directed her attention to another hand raised.

"Why did you move here?" The boy's question came out flatly, almost rude.

"The company my father runs had a branch here in Tokyo, and it grew very quickly here, so we came here to manage the branch. We wanted to stay together instead of just my father leaving us in Kapa'a, so both my sister and I moved with him. My sister is also training to take over the company's management here in Japan."

The boy didn't seem too impressed by her answer, merely shrugging and turning to whisper amongst his friends.

"Alright, I do believe we need to get back to the lesson," the teacher piped up, placing a hand on Meli's shoulder. A few students groaned but didn't protest any further than mild annoyance. "Kealoha-san, lets have you sit…in front of Hitachiin-san, in the second row, yes."

Meli looked over to where the teacher was pointing, an empty seat in front of a red-haired boy- oh he is handsome, and oh- there are two of them! Trying to ignore the warmth glowing on her cheeks, she made her way to the vacant seat and set her bag underneath her chair. Meli fidgeted in her seat, very aware of the attention still directed at her, even if not everyone was staring at her. Being a new student was always hard but having to sit in front of a handsome boy on top of the culture shock and language barrier was enough to make a girl's head spin.

The teacher had continued the lecture. Meli was doing her best to keep up with the teacher's fast pace, becoming increasingly frustrated with herself not fully understanding the Japanese language. She bit her lip, silently pleading for the class to be over quickly. She twirled the pencil in her hand, trying to distract herself form the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. _No! Don't cry on your first day!_

Almost as if the gods had heard her prayer, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class. Meli let breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. Several of the other students grouped together and made their exit from the room, while a few stayed behind to talk amongst each other. Meli, gathered herself, wiping under her eyes at the single tear that managed to escape, and approached her teacher standing at the desk.

"Ah, Sensei?" The teacher looked up from the papers.

"Yes, Kealoha-san, how can I help you?"

"Uh, well…" She suddenly was overcome with embarrassment. How could she tell her teacher that she couldn't understand the lesson? She was put in the top class for a reason, and she felt silly for needing assistance. "I don't really, um, understand Japanese very well." She continued quietly. "That is, I understand it, but not fast- I mean, not when it is spoken quickly."

She felt like her heart was in her throat when she felt the attention of the rest of the students land on her. Her hand clenched her bag tightly, trying to ground herself. The teacher seemed to understand her discomfort, and gently placed her hand on Meli's arm.

"I am very sorry, Kealoha-san. If you would like, I can assign you a tutor, perhaps on of your peers to go over the lessons with you. It might be easier one-on-one." Before Meli could speak, she called over to a student still in the room. "Fujioka-san, would you be able to assist our new student?"

Meli felt her face heat up, and wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow her where she stood. The dark-haired student came up to the teacher, the twins following behind.

"Fujioka-san was in your shoes not too long ago, so I'm sure he would be more than happy to help you. Fujioka-san, would you be willing to go over the lessons with Kealoha-san? Act as her tutor perhaps?"

"I'd be more than happy to." Meli looked up at Fujioka-san, and she was met with a warm smile. _Oh, he's cute too!_ "We can meet up together during lunch or free period to go over the notes if you want."

"Really? Oh that would be so helpful, thank you so much!" This student was willing to help her! Meli clutched her bag to her chest, cheeks blushing dark, and nodded fervently at her classmate.

"In the mean-time," the teacher spoke, "Fujioka-san, why don't you assist Kealoha-san for this week, show her around Ouran, make her feel welcomed." Fujioka-san nodded his head and directed Meli out of the classroom.

Outside of the room, the red-haired twins followed them into the hallway.

"Kealoha-san, this is-"

"Ah, is it okay if you just call me Meli?" She shuffled her shoes against the floor, not meeting her classmate's eyes.

"Of course. Meli, this is Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru." Meli turned to the twins behind her. They were taller than her, by at least a couple inches. Golden eyes, sharp features, and bright hair parted down opposite sides, they were practically mirror images of the other!

"Thanks for the introduction Haruhi," both said in unison. _Woah_. The handsome features became highlighted by the mischievous glint in their eyes, and they move fluidly together around her to link their arms around Haruhi's shoulders.

"I hope you weren't planning on skipping on club time during free period, Haruhi," the boy on the right started.

"The boss wouldn't be too happy," the one on the left continued his brother's thought. His voice was much softer than the one's on the right.

"Neither would Kyoya," they finished together. Haruhi shifted under their casual hold.

"Well, I'm sure he could make an exception for today, as I was asked by a teacher to help Meli this week. You guys can handle yourselves for one afternoon without me."

Meli didn't want to interrupt their conversation, but she also didn't want to bother Haruhi if he already had things to attend to.

"Haruhi, if you can't help me, I'm sure I can manage for today. That is if you're already busy, I don't want to take you away from your obligations."

The twins eyed each other, realizing that abandoning their new classmate was probably not the best way to handle this predicament.

"Why don't you just come with us to the Host club?" She tilted her head at the twins, confusion written on her face. _What on earth is a host club?_

"Um, okay," was all she could say. She already felt like an outsider enough and didn't want to question their activities. _And_ she was invited to join in on it, so how could she say no?

Meli eyed Haruhi, who just shook his head.

"Alright, well, Meli, lets get you to your next class."


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! So quick note, I spent about 8 hours of my day writing this chapter, and now my wrists hurt like hell! Also, the country I'm in doesn't allow me to re-watch the anime series, so I'm going off of memory and fandom wiki to help me write this, so that's a lot of fun. I forgot to mention in the first chapter that the cover art is my own, so please don't copy it or try to use it elsewhere, please and thank you.

Alright, that's all for now, here's chapter 2!

* * *

Meli's next few classes went by smoothly, with only the occasional mild embarrassment that comes with mixing up languages. Haruhi stayed by her side most of the time, to which Meli couldn't appreciate more. Her first day at a new school in a new country, and she already has a friend! At least, that was how Meli felt. How Haruhi felt about their relationship was unknown to Meli, but she could appreciate the company, nonetheless.

They had finished their morning classes and were now in their free period. Haruhi was guiding Meli down a lavish corridor.

"So, you were a new student too?" Meli brought up the point the teacher from first period had made.

"Yeah, I was. It wasn't the same as your situation, I didn't move across countries, but I am here at Ouran on a scholarship, so I felt like an outsider too."

Meli flinched at the term 'outsider' but understood what Haruhi meant. Maybe they had more in common than she thought…

"It must have been hard," she commented. "I mean, I can't imagine it from your situation, but- oh my, that sounded really rude! I'm sorry, Haruhi!"

_Oh goodness, how could I possibly know what it was like for Haruhi? He had to deal with being poorer than everyone else!_

"No, it's okay." Meli looked to Haruhi, only to be met with absolute understanding and kindness. Her cheeks went aflame. _Why does every person at this school have to be nice and good-looking?! _Meli smiled at him, clutching her schoolbooks against her chest, trying to hide how flustered she felt by her attractive classmate. There was something so unusual about Haruhi. He was so gentle and kind to her, and didn't get frustrated with her like she expected, and those brown eyes…

"Well…anyways," Meli started, tucking her hair behind her ear. "What is this club we're going to?"

"The Host club? It's um…" Haruhi tried to answer her. "Its not easy to explain, so I guess you'll just have to see for yourself."

Meli looked at the door they were standing in front of. She squinted up at the sign that was above the door.

"Music…room 3? Oh, is this a music club?" Meli asked excitedly, pushing open the doors. _Did Haruhi play an instrument? Oh! Did he sing?!_

Where she expected to find perhaps a choral group, or students playing instruments, she was instead met with...a tropical forest and…are those rose petals? What on earth?

"Ah, Haruhi, you're here." Meli looked to her left- oh goodness a shirtless man? _What kind of club is this?_ "And I see you've brought a guest. Welcome to the Host club mademoiselle."

She was silenced by utter shock. Sure, she had been around plenty of shirtless people, but most of the time, she knew who they were, or it was at the beach, where that sort of thing is to be expected. She did not think she would find half naked people at _school_. Thankfully, Haruhi responded to the guy before Meli could let something stupid slip past her lips.

"This is the new student, she's with me this week. I'm showing her around the school."

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you Miss Kealoha. If there's anything I can do to make your stay at the Host club more pleasurable, don't hesitate to ask."

_Shirtless, abs, and a gentleman? Good lord, is every boy here- wait, how did he know…_There was something slightly unsettling about his smile; it didn't feel like a smile out of happiness or kindness, but it also wasn't forced, like there was some sort of ulterior motive hidden behind the smile…

"Oh- uh, thank you…" Meli trailed off, waiting for a name.

"Ootori Kyoya."

"Thank you Ootori-senpai," Meli said with a gentle bow of her head. She assumed that he was older than her and didn't want to offend more than she already had today with her less than pleasant skills with speaking Japanese. She looked around the room, taking it all in. Palm trees, large plants with bright flowers, it even felt more humid than the rest of the school, and- _oh goodness, are those actual snakes?!_

"Haruhi, your outfit is in the backroom, please change, and join your guests," Kyoya directed at the brunette. Haruhi muttered something unintelligible, but complied, leaving Meli with the taller man.

"Um, may I ask what the Host Club is?" She asked. She hoped it didn't sound too rude or tactless. She had been invited here by the twins, and even escorted by Haruhi, and she didn't know what _this_ even was! Her question must have attracted the attention of some of the others in the room, because almost immediately, she was greeted by another man, who was just as shirtless as the previous. Come to think of it, _all _the boys in the room were bare-chested, wearing sarongs around their hips.

"Has a new princess has graced us with her presence?" His violet eyes captured hers, and he gently tilted her chin up. _Oh, dear lord, this is how I die._ "Welcome to the Host Club, we are honored to have you with us today. What is you type, my dear?"

"T-type?"

She suddenly felt surrounded by _so many_ handsome men. _Why, why, why? Why is it always me?_

"Perhaps you would like the Cool type," the blond started, gesturing to Kyoya, who now was bearing a soft smile. "Or the Wild type," now to the _very_ tall dark-haired man, who looked rather stoic, almost unreadable, but gentle. "The Loli-Shota," he continued, directing her attention to a honey-haired boy, who looked much too young to be in high school. _Oh, he's so cute_. "The little Devil type, maybe?" She felt two different sets of hands on her shoulders, and looking up, she could see the Hitachiin twins. "Or maybe, you would like the Natural- oh, where is Haruhi?" The blond abruptly stopped his wooing, looking amongst the boys.

"He- he went to change," Meli spoke up, words jumping over each other. Her Japanese was coming out stuttered and uneven, her non-native accent far more than obvious. She never imagined that on her first day of school at Ouran would involve so many beautiful men asking for her preference. _Oh gods, please let me disappear!_

"You must be the new student!" The honey-haired boy gushed, suddenly grabbing her arm. _Goodness, he's strong!_ "Would you like to sit with us and eat cake? My favorite is strawberry, but you can have whatever kind you like!"

Meli could only nod in response, her embarrassment taking over her ability to speak coherently, and the smaller boy pulled her over to a table where a few girls sat. The tall dark-haired man followed along. _They must sit with each other…_

"Honey-senpai, who did you bring?" One of the girls said. _Senpai? That honorific was used for someone who's older…Just how old was this boy?_

"This is the new student everyone!" He remarked, grabbing a plateful of cake with bright red strawberries on it. The tall man sat down, pouring a cup of tea, and handing it to Meli. She gave him a smile as a 'thanks,' still too flustered to really speak.

"Ah, the girl from Hawaii! We've heard all about you!" Another girl gushed. Meli's eyebrows came together in concern. Had she already made a fool of herself so much that the entire school knew who she was? "Oh! Don't worry, it's nothing bad, everyone is just so curious about you!" A couple of the other girls nodded.

"Really?" Meli responded, taking a sip of the tea. They all responded in a chorus of various approvals. "Oh." It was better than being known for doing something out of line or stupid, but it was still a huge amount of sudden attention. She crossed her ankles, tucking them to her side, almost as if she was trying to shrink herself into the velvet couch. Honey-senpai must have picked up on her uneasiness.

"Meli-chan, do you want some cake?" He asked, turning the focus back to him. His smile was genuine and child-like, and she suddenly felt like she had been embraced by a warm hug. _He's adorable._

"I would love some, thank you, Honey-senpai."

* * *

She sat with Honey and Mori, or Takashi which was what Honey called him, for a little while. Honey had taken extra care in explaining every option of cake they had, minding how quickly he was talking so that she could understand him better. She had eventually opted to try to the vanilla cake with lemon curd and citrus frosting. Thankfully the conversation never turned on to her again, instead it was filled with Honey making cute remarks about his pink stuffed rabbit or cake and the girls gushing over his adorableness. She found it peculiar that Mori didn't speak much, but still had quite a following of girls who fawned over him. He was attractive, for sure, and a bit of a mystery, which she could appreciate more than anyone. She had always enjoyed a good mystery, novel or otherwise. Still, she wondered why he was called the wild type, as his demeanor was rather calm and collected.

Haruhi had come out to join the guests a little while ago, dressed in matching tropical garb like the rest of the boys, though his was far more modest. Meli could see him across the room, hosting several ladies, who seemed absolutely enthralled by his natural charm. Meli wasn't surprised though, as she herself was charmed by Haruhi simply helping her through the hallways. Now he seemed to be casually flirting with these girls. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle the romantic attention if she was sitting at Haruhi's table. Honey and Mori's table wasn't flirting, or very romantic even, mainly just friendly conversation.

She looked at the other hosts around the room. The blond prince-charming boy, or Tamaki Suoh she learned was his name, had a large gaggle of girls with him, all fawning over his good looks and charming quips. He has caught her staring over at him at one point, offering her a kind smile, to which she blushed and waved at him before turning back to Honey and Mori. Kyoya was currently alone, typing away on his laptop, occasionally making polite talk with the girls who passed by him. The twins were across the room, acting _awfully_ close with one another. She was a little weirded-out by their more-than-casual affection towards the other but didn't pay it much mind. The Host Club, she figured, was simply to entertain the girls that came in, so she didn't really take most of what was happening around her too seriously. But it was nice to instantly have someone to talk to, who would shower you in affection, simply by showing up to Music Room 3.

Several of the other girls sitting with her had switched to other tables or left entirely, but Meli stayed where she was for the hour. Now it was just her and the two hosts, Honey and Meli talking back and forth for several minutes, while Mori occasionally offered small nods or grunts in agreement.

"Meli-chan, when did you move to Bunkyo?" Honey asked, eating his fourth…no, fifth slice of strawberry cake.

"About a week and a half ago. My family and I are still adjusting, but I really like it here in Japan. I only visited here once several years ago when I was little, but it wasn't to Tokyo, it was at a beach, though I can't remember where," She drank from her teacup, thinking of what else to say. Honey didn't seem to have anything to say, waiting for her to continue with wide eyes. "It's really nice, and I really like Ouran Academy so far. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming, especially Haruhi. He's been so wonderful, helping me around the school and explaining things I don't understand," she continued, looking into her now empty teacup. "It's only been my first day, and I even have friends- ah, I mean, not that I'm presuming anything! I just-" she tried backtracking her words, realizing that she was literally paying to talk with these boys, they weren't _actually _her friends. She looked away, feeling abashed and overcome by unease.

"Meli-chan, you're my friend," Honey said. She looked back up and didn't see any deceit in his eyes. She saw nothing but pure intention. _Why is my heart beating so fast?_ She shyly looked down, suddenly feeling with that warm-glowing-feeling all over her. "Do you want some more tea?"

Meli nodded a 'yes,' passing the teacup and saucer to her senpai, who happily poured from the tea pot. She politely took the tea from Honey, taking a sip of the hot drink. She didn't drink a lot of tea back home, and when she did it was usually for day-time occasions involving business with the people from the family company. It was offered more as a formality. However, the tea that the Host club was serving was comforting. She looked around the room, and- hold on, where did everyone go?

Over in the corner of the room was Tamaki, looking rather woeful and forlorn. Why was he suddenly so upset? Club hours must be over now, judging by the fact that she was the only girl left in the room, so she supposed that he was only charading the romantic prince earlier and was now able to let out his feelings. Does she approach him about his sudden depression? She stood up, setting down her teacup, and quietly walked over to the corner where the blond boy was brooding alone.

"Uh- Souh-senpai? Are you alright?"

"Don't even bother Meli," two voices rang out behind her. The twins had appeared on either side of her, staring at the boy sitting in the corner.

"But what has him so upset?" Concern laced her voice as she gestured to Tamaki.

"One of his regular clients switched to Haruhi today," Kyoya said from across the room, typing on his computer, not even glancing up. "I'm not sure why he's so distressed by it though, considering Kanako's disease."

"Disease?" Meli looked behind her seeing Haruhi, back in his normal uniform. "Meli, you're still here?"

Meli could feel the tips of her ear turning red.

"Oh- yes, I wanted to wait for you Haruhi…" she trailed off, before shaking her head. "What is this disease?"

"Kana-chan is a host-hopper!" Honey piped up.

"She jumps from host to host," a voice to her right said.

"And never picks a favorite," another voice finished the sentence on her left.

_He was upset because he was no longer a favorite?_ Tentatively, she approached the sulking boy, bending down to meet his current height. _Hopefully this broken heart was quick to fix…_

"Suoh-senpai, it'll be okay. I'm sure you're a favorite of many of the girls, maybe you'll be able to win over Kanako." She didn't know who this Kanako girl was, but she was sure that Tamaki would be able to win her back with just a smile. "You know, you won me today too when you greeted me earlier," she added quietly, figuring his ego needed a little attention. That seemed to do the trick, because he instantly jumped up, pulling Meli over to Haruhi.

"Oh, you darling princess! Haruhi, this is why you need more female companionship! You need to learn to be more kind and feminine like Kealoha-san!" _Hold on…feminine?_ He suddenly had pulled out a large framed photo of a schoolgirl, who looked quite similar to Haruhi. _Wait, was that Haruhi?_

"Boss!" The twins yelled, obviously trying to get the blond to stop talking, but it was no use trying to get Tamaki's attention now.

"Daddy wants you to go back to how you were!" _Daddy?! _Meli was now utterly confused. It seemed as though the attention had been taken off of her entirely, and now everyone was gazing at the portrait Tamaki held preciously. She inspected the portrait closer.

"Haruhi, is that you?" She asked, to which Haruhi casually nodded. The focus of the room switched back to her, and she felt so small under the gaze of the others around her.

"I guess the secret is out then…" One twin said. Both shook their heads in annoyance.

"…Now Kealoha-san knows," the other completed. This twin had a lower and sharper voice than the other, who's voice was slightly high pitched and had some gentleness to it. She couldn't tell the apart yet, but she felt inclined to know how to soon. _Wait- knows what?_

"Is it a secret that you're a boy Haruhi? Or that you used to, um…" Meli didn't finished her thought, not quite sure how to word it.

"Biologically speaking, I'm a girl, but I don't really care if people see me as a boy or a girl. It doesn't really matter to me," Haruhi sighed at the girl and gestured to the rest of the room before continuing. "It's a long story."

"A long story that you can be filled in on at another time I'm afraid," Kyoya said. "I'm more concerned about if our new guest will be able to keep this between only who is in this room," he continued, staring at Meli with intense eyes, glasses glinted in the light as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, Haruhi, you can trust me! I promise to keep this between us. I would never tell someone if you don't wish me to," Meli said fervently, grasping Haruhi's shoulders. "After all, I would hate to cause problems on my first day here at Ouran!"

That seemed to be enough for Kyoya, who merely wrote down a few things on his notepad.

"Well then, Miss Kealoha, will we be expecting to see you again tomorrow?" He asked. Tamaki seemed overcome by Meli's declaration of secrecy and proceeded to embrace her.

"Oh Kealoha-san, you are the sweetest princess I have met! I know you will be a perfect sisterly role-model for Haruhi!" He gushed, squeezing her a little too tight.

"Ah, thank you Senpai, but um- could you," she stuttered, feeling warmth wash over her body. He let go of her, apologizing for getting overzealous.

The twins seemed off put by both Kyoya's nonchalance and Tamaki's gushing over the new girl.

"Wait, we're just going to trust her just like that?" The twin with the sharper voice said. She had to admit, his remark stung. Was she not trustworthy? _Well, they have only known me for less than a day…_

"I trust that she will keep this between us. After all, who is she going to tell? It _is_ her fist day here." There was something almost sinister about the way he said that.

"She'll keep her promise, won't you Meli-chan?" Meli smiled up at Honey, who was now perched atop Mori's shoulders, and nodded a 'yes' to him. At least she had the trust of the others…

She had a feeling that the twins had a bit of a wall built up, and weren't particularly interested in letting other people in. She couldn't blame them though; she was a new student and they seemed to already have an established friend, almost family, group here with the Host club.

"On a separate note, Haruhi, how are your dancing skills? You'll need to be comfortable dancing with our guests at the upcoming party." Both girls turned to face Kyoya.

"Party?!" They remarked at the same time, however, the excitement on Meli's face and the unenthusiastic sound of Haruhi's voice showed just how different their outlooks were on this 'party.'


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I'm on a serious creative-roll for some reason! I couldn't stay away from my laptop today! This is a _little _bit of a filler chapter, but we get to see interactions outside of the Host Club! Please let me know your thoughts! Tell me who you think Meli's romantic interest should be!**

**Also! I am using modern technology in this fic! I can't deal with early 2000's tech, so we're giving the Host Club a minor upgrade.**

* * *

"Nani, are you home?" Meli called into the entry way. This mansion still didn't feel like _home_, and Meli felt that it never really would. The design was similar to their house back in Kapa'a, but it didn't have the same feeling that a home normally would. There were no memories preserved in the walls, no past footsteps in the hallways.

"Yeah, I'm in the living room," a voice called from down the hall. Meli discarded her school bag and shoes at the door, knowing that the maids would quickly move them to her room. Maneuvering through the tall corridor, she found her way to the room her sister occupied.

Nani was older than Meli by 4 years, which was physically evident by her tall stature and sharper features. Meli had inherited the opposite features, with a round face and short height, only meeting her sister's shoulders. They shared a few similar traits, their amber-brown eyes and wavy dark hair. Nani resembled their father's side of the family and Meli their mother's.

"Hey Nani," Meli said, standing in the archway. Nani looked away from the book in her lap.

"Hey Honey-bee! How was your first day at Ouran?" Nani cleared her schoolbooks from the couch, making a spot for Meli to sit down. Despite the love-seat on the other side of the room, she wanted her sister by her. The move had taken a toll on all of them, being no longer near your close friends really makes you rely on your family for comfort. Meli plopped down next to her sister and propped her feet up on the coffee table in front of them, letting out a huff.

"Well, I think I made some friends. I'm not quite sure how genuine it is though."

"What makes you say that?" Nani asked, turning her body in on Meli. The younger girl searched for a way to explain the situation. Both Haruhi and Honey said that they were her friends, but she wasn't sure if it was for real or if it was because she now knew Haruhi's secret.

* * *

"_So, to summarize, and correct me if I'm wrong, you are indebted to the Host Club because you knocked over an expensive vase, and they are making you repay it by being a host? And they all assumed you were a boy based on your appearance when they first met you, and didn't realize you were a girl until it was too late?" Meli stifled a laugh as she tried to get a grasp on Haruhi's situation. "I'm sorry for laughing, but this doesn't even seem like something that would happen in real life!"_

_Haruhi only shook her head with a small smile. The two of them were leaving the building after the school-day had ended. _

"_Yeah, and I'm sorry for involving you in all of this."_

"_No, it's okay, really! It was my own doing, after all, I was the one who stayed after club hours to wait for you, you didn't do anything that put me in this situation. Besides, I kind of like the Host Club! Maybe I'll request you some time," Meli added with a shy smile, but quickly realized that Haruhi might not like the sudden advancement and tried to backpedal her previous statement. "I mean, it must get tiresome of having tons of girls fawn over you, maybe you'd just like friendly talk- oh gods, I'm just digging myself into a deeper hole!"_

_Haruhi laughed at Meli's flustered state, offering Meli her hand to hold as they continued down the main pathway. _

"_No, I think I would appreciate it actually. You're my friend Meli."_

* * *

Meli blushed at the memory of Haruhi holding her hand. _Do I _like _Haruhi? No, she's just a friend!_

"Well, the teacher assigned another student to help me for this week. Her- I mean his," Meli was unsure whether she could tell Nani about Haruhi's situation. She was sure that her sister wouldn't tell anybody, but the thought of Kyoya catching wind of Meli spreading the secret didn't please her. There was something hiding behind that boy's charming smile, something sinister that she didn't want to _ever_ have to come face to face with, and thus she decided that Haruhi's secret was better kept away from Nani. "His name is Haruhi. He's super sweet! He showed me all around the school grounds and took me to all of my classes."

"He sounds nice, but why don't you think he's your friend?" Nani readjusted herself on the couch again, taking a bite from the bowl of food she had on the coffee table. "Does is feel like forced friendliness? I knew those rich kids would be rude to you."

"Nani, we're not exactly in poverty," Meli said, gesturing to their lavishly decorated living room.

"No, I mean, compared to the other kids there, we aren't at the top of the totem. I'm just saying that, comparing ourselves to them, our family is still 'new money.' Most of the kids there have had family fortune for several generations, ours only started with tutu*."

"I get that, but it isn't like that. Haruhi is actually there on a scholarship."

"Oh," Nani said, her cheeks darkening realizing her remarks were rather harsh.

Meli combed through her hair with her hand and loosened the ribbon about her neck.

"It's just that, I don't know, it feels like I'm a novelty right now, being a foreign new student and all. I feel like this will wear-off, and I won't have friends later. I mean, when I went to the host club, the girls all wanted to talk to me instead of-"

"What the hell is a host club?" Nani cut her off. Meli bit her lip, unsure how to word her answer correctly.

"It's um- well, it's a club where these _boys_ entertain the guests that come in." She hid her face in her hands, suddenly remembering what they were _wearing_ when she was greeted by them. "I know it sounds bad, but it isn't like that! They just flirt and drink tea!"

Nani shrugged and took another bite of food before responding.

"Some people are just into weird things."

"Nani!" Meli exclaimed, throwing a pillow at her sister. The older sister laughed, and shoved Meli's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm just messing with you! No need to get defensive." Nani tossed the pillow back to her sister. "So, what did _you _do at this host club? Any cute guys?"

"Nani, you are too old for them!" Meli giggled, face turning pink. She knew her sister wasn't actually interested, but rather liked embarrassing her little sister. "I sat with one of the boys and ate cake, nothing romantic happened." She purposely didn't mention the moment Tamaki melted her heart with a simple touch. "And for your information, they are _very _cute. Enough about my day, what about your business classes?"

"Oh you know, the usual. I had a couple lectures today, which weren't too interesting. I really just want to get into the branch instead of taking these classes at the university. I prefer to learn in the moment instead of three-hour lectures," Nani huffed, hugging one of the pillows to her chest.

"I'm sure you'll get to go in soon. Daddy just wants you to know the fundamentals before you go charging into the conference room." Meli could see her sister's deflated mood. She knew how frustrated she was, not being able to actually do things hands on.

"Yeah," Nani let out a sigh. She suddenly perked up, the look of an idea crossing her face. "Do you want to go shopping?"

In less than half an hour, the two sisters had been chauffeured to the train station, taken the line into downtown, and were now standing in front of the designer shopping center. Large crowds of people bustled about the streets and neon signs lit the area.

"Did we _need_ to take the train, Honey-bee?" Nani inspected her blouse for any stains, to which Meli giggled.

"Yes! We need to have to true 'tourist in Japan' experience before we completely settle in!" The younger girl was completely taken by her surroundings. The pair of them loved to go on shopping sprees together, even though could have clothing made custom for them by personal tailors, there was something special about spending ungodly amounts of money on frivolous items. Meli grabbed her sister's hand and proceeded to pull her into the building. "Oh! This reminds me that I need to get a dress for the party!"

"You've been at school for one day, and you've already been invited to a party? And I thought _I _was the extrovert between us," Nani remarked with a laugh.

"Well, I guess you could say I was invited…"

* * *

"_Can I count on your attendance for our party, Miss Kealoha?" _

_It had been a few minutes after the whole fiasco of Haruhi's secret being let out, and the rest of the hosts had taken to putting the rest of the room back in order._

_Meli looked up at Kyoya, who had was writing down on his notepad. She knew that he wasn't _really _asking, more reinforcing that she needed to be there in order for them to 'keep an eye on her.' She merely nodded before answering verbally._

"_Yeah, I'll just need to find something to wear." She was sure he didn't care about that last part, but he nodded anyways. _I'll also need to brush up on my formal dancing skills._ She hadn't taken formal dancing since…well ever. She was used to doing performance dance, where every move was choreographed, not dancing that required trusting you and your dance partner to do whatever while remaining formal. She enjoyed freestyle dancing, but she had a feeling the skills she had in that department wouldn't be appropriate in the setting of a party thrown by the Host club. _

"_Ah, princess, we'd be so happy for you to make an appearance!" Tamaki called from across the room. _

"_Thank you, senpai! I'd love to get more involved here at Ouran!"_

"_Perhaps you'd care to join some of the sports teams? I'm sure given your skills, you could easily qualify for the top tier volleyball team," Kyoya said, hardly looking up from his papers. _How does he know-_ "Don't be shocked, Miss Kealoha, I like to keep tabs on all of our clientele."_

_A shiver ran down her spine when she caught glimpse of his sinister smirk. She didn't stay uneasy when she was suddenly being twirled about by her small-statured senpai._

"_Do you hear that Takashi? Meli-chan is coming to the party! We'll get to dance together and eat all sorts of yummy treats and cakes!" _

* * *

"Nani, why aren't you letting _me_ pick out any dresses? I'm the one going to the party after all."

The two girls were now wandering through a store. Nani was picking out the dresses, while Meli trailed behind, carrying at least seven ballgowns.

"Because," Nani started, pausing as she examined the bead-work on a new dress. "You and I both know that if you picked out what to wear, you'd look like Picasso's and Dali's artwork had a love-child."

"Would not," Meli huffed.

"Would, and you know it." Meli couldn't argue too much with her sister on this topic; she knew that Nani was correct; she didn't exactly have the most sophisticated sense of style. "Be thankful that you wear a uniform at Ouran. If you had to dress yourself every morning, I'm sure just being a new student wouldn't be the only thing your peers would talk about." Nani added the dress to the pile Meli was carrying.

"Do you really think that these will look good?"

"Hmm…" Nani inspected a couple of the dresses in Meli's arms. "You'll just have to try them all on. Don't be worried if the don't fit, we can always send them off to get properly fitted."

Eventually they made it to the dressing rooms. The woman at the desk eyed them and their large stack of gowns before directing them to an empty room with several mirrors around a pedestal. Nani excitedly shoved Meli behind the curtain, telling her to get changed.

Meli sighed looking at the amount of dresses her sister had pulled. Shaking her head, she started with the light blue dress adorned with crystals around the bust. Stripping herself of her normal clothes, she pooled the gown on the floor and stepped into the center opening. The material was silky-smooth and hugged her body from the chest to her mid-thigh. It was a mermaid style without straps and dipped in the back to just above her tailbone, exposing her back muscles.

She wasn't very self-conscious about her strong body; in fact, she was proud of it. It showed-off her hard work and dedication to the sports she played back home. However, she was sure that most of the girls at Ouran didn't have the same muscle definition she had, they were all rather slender and petite.

"Did you get lost in your dress or something?" Meli heard her sister ask from the other side of the velvet curtain.

"Give me a second…" Meli replied, adjusting the fabric around her legs, and pulled back the curtain, walking up the pedestal to look in the mirror. Nani instantly came to her side with her phone out to take pictures.

"Oh my gosh! Meli, this one is so pretty on you!" Nani began going into different angles. "Honey-bee, pose for me please!"

Meli laughed at her sister's antics, but posed none the less, moving her body around every few seconds.

This continued for the next hour, Meli trying on a different dress and Nani taking pictures. Meli was sure they were being obnoxious to the other patrons at the store, but didn't care about them; she was having fun with her sister.

"So, which one will it be, Honey-bee?" Nani asked as Meli changed back into her normal clothes.

Meli wasn't sure which one to pick. She loved the light blue mermaid dress, as it was the closest one to her gaudy fashion sense. The light pink one was also a favorite; it had a more 'ball gown' shape, as the skirt had several layers and a crinoline lining underneath it, and had a high-low cut that started just above her knees. She also really liked the sunset orange dress. It was more simple than the rest; it didn't poof out very big and it wasn't covered in crystals; it had a gradient effect, starting at the bust of the dress in a deeper orange, that gradually became lighter at the bottom; the material hugged her body, but only to the hips, where the skirts flowed freely.

"I'm not sure, but I really like these three," Meli answered, taking the three dresses with her. Nani was silent for a moment, looking at her sister's choices.

"I suppose we'll get all three then," Nani said, grabbing the dresses and making her way to the counter. Meli didn't protest but felt a little bad about buying all of them if she would only end up wearing one. Nani handed over her credit card to the woman at the counter, not really paying attention to the price that rang up, knowing that their father wouldn't care too much at the sudden expense.

* * *

As the girls rode the train back to Bunkyo with their shopping bags, Meli stared out the window at the sun that had nearly disappeared against the horizon.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow? With your new _friends_ and all?" Nani asked, a teasing inflection in her voice at the last part.

"Haruhi said that we could go over the notes from class. I invited her- him to come over after school. He has to learn how to dance properly for the party during club hours."

Nani only nodded before going back to texting, no doubt it was to her friends back in Kapa'a. Meli checked her phone as well, seeing a few new messages from her friends too. She opened the group chat, seeing several messages from Celina, Lani, and Lokela.

**Cleina: I hope your first day goes smoothly!**

**Lani: Well, considering she's like 12 hours ahead of us, her day is already over**

**Lokela: its actually more like 19 hours**

**Celina: It's the thought that counts**

**Lokela: Have you made any friends yet?**

**Celina: I bet they can't replace us :P**

**Lani: Of course they wont! Nothing could break up the golden foursome!**

**Lokela: do not call us a foursome**

**Celina: good lord lani! **

**Celina: it's a QUARTET not a foursome!**

**Lokela: anyways…**

**Lokela: Meli please answer, I'm so bored **

**Lokela: it's too early to deal with this nonsense**

**Celina: meeelllliiii**

**Celina: I guess she found new best friends**

**Lani: we've been replaced D:**

Meli laughed at her friends. She hadn't meant to ignore their texts, she was just so busy today, she didn't have time to check her phone.

**Meli: hey guys! No, you haven't been replaced, I was shopping with Nani**

Celina answered almost immediately.

**Cleina: ah that makes sense**

**Celina: how was your day?**

She thought about how to respond before typing.

**Meli: I'll tell you all about it over skype when I get back to the house. I'm on the train rn**

* * *

"Hold on, hold on! You went to a what?!"

Meli sat cross-legged on her bed. She took a bite from the food her maid had brought her a few minutes ago when she started her video call with her friends on her laptop.

"It's a host club." Meli watched Cleina's face contort in confusion and Lani's light up in excitement. Lokela didn't seem too bothered by it.

"What, is it like a strip club?" He said casually. Lani shoved her brother with a pillow. Meli laughed at their antics on the screen. Gods, she missed them so much.

"No you idiot! It's where handsome men entertain women! Right, Meli?" Lani said excitedly.

"Yeah…how did you know that? I've never heard of one until I went to it."

"I read it in a manga once," Lani answered smartly.

"Weeb," her brother muttered, to which she gently smacked his arm.

"Of course, you would know about it Lani," Celina said, shaking her head. "So, what happened?"

"Umm, well…" She could tell her friends, right? They were across the ocean after all. _Kyoya wouldn't find out..._ "I found out that Haruhi was actually a girl."

"Holy shit!"

"Language!" Lani exclaimed at Cleina.

"So now, they want to 'keep an eye on me' or something like that." Meli said, putting in air quotes as she spoke, rolling her eyes.

"Are they cute?" Meli looked at Lani, who was positively beaming. Only Lani would be interested in this; this situation was basically from a shoujo anime or something. Meli was silent for a moment, and her friends leaned into the camera.

"…Yeah, they are," she finally said, hiding her red face in her hands. Lani and Celina squealed while Lokela shook his head with a smile. "Listen! They're like, the most good-looking boys in the school! Of course, I'm going to find them attractive!"

"Who's the hottest though?"

"Lani! Don't ask me that!"

"What? It's not like we're going to tell them! We don't know anyone you go to school with."

"Okay fine!" Meli could feel her face get hotter; these were her classmates she was talking about! "Umm…okay, their leader. He's really pretty. His name is Tamaki; he's got blond hair and violet eyes…" She trailed off and heard her three friends laugh to themselves. "And this other guy, Kyoya, he's like the 'cool-type,' he's got dark hair and glasses, but he's like, kind of shady. Oh! And this other one, Honey! He looks really young, but he's a third year! He has such a sweet and cute demeanor. And his friend, Mori, he's like this stoic guy. He's super tall. I told you about Haruhi…And the twins! Yeah, the Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru, are in it too."

Celina's face lit up.

"Hitachiin? As in world renowned designer Yazuha Hitachiin?" Meli shrugged. She wasn't as well versed in the world if fashion as Celina was. Her friend picked up her phone and began frantically scrolling, while the rest of them waited in confusion. Celina found what she was looking for and shoved her phone in front of the camera. Displayed was the Yazuha Hitachiin Instagram page, one of the latest pictures was of two red-haired twins in semi-matching outfits. Meli looked closer, recognizing the two boys in the picture.

"Yeah, that's them!"

"Meli, you're going to school with the children of my style idol! You have no idea how jealous I am!"

Meli laughed as her friend stared longingly into her phone.

"I should have recognized the last name sooner, I guess," Meli said, twirling a strand around her finger.

"Uh, yeah! This settles it then! Meli, when is the soonest we can visit you?!" Lani and Lokela nodded in agreement.

"Guys! I've only been gone for, like, a week!"

"Yeah, and you're already friends with fashion designers," Lokela retorted.

"_Sons_ of fashion designers," Lani corrected.

"Who knows who else you know! You could be friends with inheritors of entire industry empires!"

"They aren't my necessarily my friends. They're just the boys at this club that I happened to go to!" She could feel her face heat up and tried to fight her obvious embarrassment by tilting her face away from the screen.

"Yeah, and they want to _keep an eye on you_! Girl open your eyes! You're going to be hanging out with rich hot dudes who are going to run the world someday, what more could you ask for?" Celina leaned forward.

"Maybe some sleep," Meli yawned, looking over at the clock. "It's already 10. I'm going to have to say goodnight, guys, I have school in the morning."

"Yeah, it's late here…well early, I guess," Lokela said, checking his phone.

"I miss you all so much," Meli sighed. "I love you all, aloha."

She waved a goodbye into the webcam as her friends said their goodbyes before shutting her laptop closed. She crashed back against the pillows, feeling warm all over, and quickly found herself wandering into her dreams.

* * *

**What do you think? Don't worry, we'll get back to the boys soon enough.**

***tutu - term used to refer to grandpa or grandma**

**For anyone who is curious, I chose the nickname 'Honey-bee' for Meli because the meaning of her name is literally that. I think its cute.**

**Also, in the text conversation where Lani refers to them as a 'foursome' and Celina replies that they are a 'quartet' is a reference to something that happened to me when I was in a production of the Wizard of Oz a few years ago. The director told me and my three companions that we 'had to get used to being a foursome,' to which we all replied 'we're a quartet! NOT a foursome!'**

**Please leave your thoughts in the reviews! I want to know what you think!**


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